


The Lengths One Will Go

by kuroi_atropos



Category: Bleach
Genre: Conspiracy, Family, Friendship, Gen, Mayuri Worst Case Scenario, Medical Experimentation, Revolution, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-27
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2017-12-30 14:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroi_atropos/pseuds/kuroi_atropos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ishida goes missing, Ichigo, Orihime and Chad begin a search that leads them to Mayuri, where they uncover far more than their missing friend. Ironic that a Quincy would lead to the breaking of the Seireitei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Copying this from FFN  
> Disclaimer: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. I am a lowly, broke fan.  
> Warnings: Mayuri worst case scenario, enough said. Really, though, this thing is going to be long and it gets a little… gruesome, in parts.

XXXXX  
Chapter One  
XXXXX

Ichigo hadn’t been concerned the first day Ishida didn’t show up for school. After all, if any of his friends could take care of themselves, it was the prissy Quincy. Then Ishida didn’t show for a second day in a row. Strangely enough, the teacher’s offhand ‘he’s not a delinquent so we’ll let it slide,’ comment caused his eyes flick over to his friends empty seat and then out the window in the direction of the dark haired boy’s apartment.

The day had gone on like normal, but the littlest things kept nagging at Ichigo’s mind. First the math teacher’s exasperation as no one managed to figure out a particular problem. Then a girl in science lab ripped her skirt and wailed over no one knowing how to sew it up without the patch job showing. At lunch Keigo accidentally brought the usual five meat buns instead of four. Ichigo had needed to miss five minutes of English to take down a Hollow and couldn’t read Orihime’s notes.

Nothing really significant happened, yet Ichigo couldn’t help think that the dark haired boy should be with them and he wanted to ensure his friend would be back in his rightful place tomorrow.

Of course since it hadn’t been a big deal Ichigo didn’t think to keep his voice down when he mentioned his plans to check on the Handicrafts Club President to Chad. Unfortunately for him, Orihime and Tatsuki overheard and insisted on coming. Then Keigo and Mizuru jumped in, and his small little side-trip had somehow turned into an expedition that had everyone tagging along after him to the Quincy’s apartment. 

Orihime, dead set on Ishida having some rare illness, (“What if he has Malaria!” she’d cried) kept thinking of different ingredients for a special homemade soup she was certain would make Ishida feel better no matter what he had. Everyone willingly indulged the auburn haired girl as she dragged them into stores. At least until she bought dark chocolate at the convenience store and said it would go perfectly with the leeks and jelly beans she’d gotten at the corner market, and the shrimp and miso broth from the grocery. Then Keigo whispered that Ishida would probably die from Orihime’s ‘cure’. No one could bring themselves to disagree. 

Only Tatsuki would support a fourth stop for peanuts and Ichigo felt the satisfaction radiating towards him from the dark haired girl’s smirk. He felt sure her cooperation was only to annoy him. Her glance at his tapping foot and glare while Orihime checked out again at the fifth store (this time for red bean paste) only confirmed this. The entire time Keigo kept insisting Ishida was taking advantage of his ‘top of the class’ position to skip while Mizuru reminded him with a telling smirk that someone as straight laced as Ishida wouldn’t do that like some of the people present.

Only Chad met Ichigo’s eyes every now and then with a slight nod. Not even Orihime, fresh from her ordeal with the Arrancar, quite picked up on Ichigo’s apprehension like the larger teen did. Chad also understood the other, only slightly less troublesome than Arrancar reason Ichigo wanted to check on their friend; that reason being the Quincy’s Father.

It seemed unlikely, however the possibility existed that the elder Ishida had retaliated for his son’s maneuvering around his promise not to associate with Shinigami. Ichigo remembered the snapping eyes and icy demeanor of the middle aged Quincy when he had appeared without warning at Urahara’s shop to collect his son right after they crashed through the gate from Hueco Mundo. 

He had seen the tightening of his Quincy friend’s fists and the minor shift to the defensive. 

“You survived despite your taste in allies,” the man had stated emotionlessly, then stepped to the side of the shop’s entrance with the rustle of expensive fabric, “move.” Ichigo had wanted to jump in to defend the still wounded Quincy. Only a shake of blue-black hair stopped him, and Ichigo started to understand why his friend lived separately from his Father. He’d only been able to watch as Ishida stiffly walked out of the room. The silver haired man hadn’t even slammed the rice paper door; they could hear it slide along its grooves and the click as it met the doorframe in the silence left in the departing pair’s wake. It had taken a few moments before Renji spit out a curse then called the man a bastard only to be hit over the head by Rukia for his lack of manners. That returned things to their definition of normal.

When Ishida appeared at school three days later, a bit worn down but in one piece with all his wounds tended to, Ichigo assumed that his Father had been placated. Unfortunately all the make-up work the four of them needed to do, than his sisters’ understandable clinginess, and the increased Hollow activity didn’t leave him any time to confirm this. 

So his abrupt vanishing act two days after his reappearance left Ichigo a tad twitchy.

They finally arrived at the Quincy’s apartment laden down with all of Orihime’s ‘ingredients’ (and a bottle of Tums bought behind the overly excited girl’s back courtesy of Chad), and Ichigo’s concerns transformed to dread when Ishida didn’t answer his door despite the orange haired Shinigami’s pounding or Keigo’s caterwauling.

He glanced up, saw Chad nod and the worry begin to creep over Orihime’s face. The others stalled a little bit as they felt the air shift around the three of them.

Ichigo stepped out of Chad’s way, fully prepared to pay the repair bill. “Break it down.”

Before anyone could blink, the door shattered, shards of wood flying into Ishida’s apartment.

Ichigo moved in, glancing around the sparsely furnished main room to see the definition of immaculate. Even the work table in the corner by the window was perfect. The neat stack of fabrics next to it had been color coded and there was an actual shelving unit for various (also color coded) threads. 

After a few moments staring at the room (spotless except for the splinters of door) Keigo, Mizuru and Tatsuki’s complaints about their actions reached his ears. “Shut up!” They recoiled back, the two boys leaping behind Tatsuki for safety who met him scowl for scowl but kept silent. Ichigo couldn’t bring himself to care about their reactions before he found Ishida. 

Orihime darted around him towards the doors on the other side of the room. “Ishida-san?” She tentatively leaned in the door that Ichigo guessed lead to the other boy’s bedroom. He knew the Quincy wouldn’t be in there. He wouldn’t be in the apartment at all. There was no way Ishida, no matter what state he was in, would miss their Reiatsu or the noise of Chad’s forced entry… 

He would’ve had spirit arrows shoved up their asses for their audacity faster than Ichigo could switch to Shinigami even if he had been delirious from Malaria.

“Keigo, Mizuru, Tatsuki, can you guys handle the door?” Ichigo asked, his voice tense as his brain automatically jumped to its current default conclusion: Worst Case Scenario.

Tatsuki glanced between him, Orihime and the empty apartment. She met his eyes and overrode Keigo’s whining with a firm nod. 

He headed out the door as Orihime and Chad caught up with him.

“Ichigo? Orihime?” He turned to glance back at Tatsuki, who was leaning against the door frame.

“What?” 

She met his eyes straight on, “If it’s something we can help with, let us know this time okay?”

He gave a nod and continued down the hall.

“The Hospital first, let’s see if he’s training with his Dad or something before we go busting down anymore doors.”

XXXXX

“No you listen! We’re going in now!” 

“I don’t think so! And show some respect for the fact that this is a hospital or you’ll get to visit with security!”

“Don’t you get it?! This is about his kid!” Ichigo could not believe he was being waylaid from his mission to find his friend by a five-foot-two woman with peroxide blonde hair in a tight bun, a chest that rivaled Matsumoto and Orihime’s, a perfectly tailored suit and an attitude that more than matched his own.

“Since I take all of his calls, I think I would know if his son called, or ended up in another hospital, or if he got in a fight at school, or anything else! So take a seat and I’ll see if I can’t fit you in when he’s done with his current meeting!”

Sparks flew between Ichigo and the Cerebus guarding Ishida Ryuuken’s door.

“Ano…” Both of them turned their glares on Orihime who hunkered down a little before squaring her shoulders and stepping forward in a bow to the receptionist.

“I really am sorry for our causing you trouble, but we really are worried. See, he hasn’t been at school the last few days, and the teacher hadn’t heard from him, which isn’t like Ishida-san at all but he’s such a good student that she wasn’t worried but when we went to his house he didn’t answer and we were really loud and we just want to make sure he’s okay!”

The woman’s eyes softened and Ichigo scowled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Let me see what I can do.”

She glared at Ichigo for a second, muttering something that Ichigo was almost sure contained his Old Man’s name for some reason, before standing up to slip through the large, wooden doors at her back. Whatever she said must have done the trick because a steady stream of men in business suits and white coats came walking out of the office. 

She stepped out a second later to wave the teens in before slipping back into her seat.

The three of them entered the room, coming head to head with Ishida Ryuuken’s glare.

The stare down lasted for a few minutes before Ichigo’s patience snapped. “Where the hell is Ishida?”

“Where the hell are your manners, Shinigami?” The pale haired man leaned back in his chair, glaring at Ichigo over the expanse of his desk.

“Same place as Ishida.”

Ryuuken raised an eyebrow. “For your own good I would find them both as quickly as possible then. Uryuu is either at that shabby little apartment he insists on keeping or at that second rate school he insists on attending. If not there, try a hobby store.” His elbows rested on the arms of his plush chair and his fingers interlaced. Ichigo had the urge to ask him if he’d copied the motion from a cliché cartoon villain.

He took a deep breath, trying to sound as polite as possible and managed to get his words out at a reasonable tone (albeit through gritted teeth), “yeah, well, school’s a no go, same as his apartment. And I’ll agree with Ishida that I suck at sensing Reiatsu so if he is at a hobby store, mind pointing us in the right direction?”

“A Shinigami needing help with something as simple as sensing Reiatsu, what is the world coming to?”

Okay, that was it. Being his friends’ Old Man only gave a person so much leeway. “Listen you bastard, if he isn’t with you training or whatever and he isn’t at school or home, what do you think might have happened?”

Ishida Ryuuken stood and planted his hands on the desk. “You really are Isshin’s brat.”

Ichigo reeled back from the sudden shift in topic. “Huh? What does old goat chin have to do with anything?”

“Heh…” Ishida senior let out with a condescending look. The man shifted and pushed his glasses up in a move scarily like his son’s, then a frown creased his features, “odd.”

“What is it? Is he okay? Can you tell?” Orihime piped up, coming to stand at Ichigo’s right side.

“No, there is absolutely nothing.”

“Nothing? What does, is he... is he alive?” Orihime pleaded.

Ichigo’s Hollow cackled in his mind, high pitched words laughing about his stupidity and failure to protect his friend on his own.

Ishida senior’s minor glare instantly became bone chilling. “I would have felt my son die, little girl. He’s still alive, just somewhere I can’t sense a regular level of Reiatsu. There aren’t many places like that in this world that he has access to. That ex-Shinigami Urahara’s shop comes to mind. Now get out so I can get back to my meeting.”

“What about outside of this world, Hueco Mundo?” Ichigo asked, that same deadly calm that let him rush after Rukia and Orihime settling in his body as he face planted his still laughing Hollow into the sideways building they stood on.

He was rewarded with icy blue eyes narrowing and a fist tightening around a charm from a silver bracelet. “While my son might have some minor potential as a Quincy, he hardly has a power as unique as the girl,” his eyes flicked to Orihime, “there is no reason besides being close to you that anyone would go after him, and if that’s the cause of his disappearance, well, it’s his own fault for breaking his word and continuing his association with you Shinigami. Now get out.”

Ichigo had reached for his substitute badge before he even realized it, but was stopped by Orihime’s delicate hands encircling his. “Not now, Kurosaki-kun.”

He met her eyes for a brief moment before glaring at the floor.

“Thank you for your time, Ishida-san,” she nearly whispered as she tugged Ichigo back out of the office, and he transferred his glare back to the bastard until his view got blocked by the suits reentering the office.

He shook off Orihime and stalked down the hallway. Even if the Quincy wasn’t with Urahara, Sandal Hat had managed to spring Ishida once before, so they’d be able to check out the training grounds, and then if necessary, head to Hueco Mundo.

XXXXX

Urahara actually looked surprised when they asked if he had seen Ishida and happily helped them break into the training ground under the hospital. After they found it empty, he and Yoruichi insisted that they wait for just a little while longer before rushing to Hueco Mundo. The three teens had been shoved in a room where Ichigo, on a long shot, called the Vizard to check if they knew where Ishida was and slammed the phone down when he received a scathing laugh. 

He had worn an actual hole in the carpet by the time Sandal Hat and Yoruichi returned, stating that they could find no trace of Ishida’s Reiatsu anywhere in the Human world. 

“So, Hueco Mundo it is, then,” Ichigo slammed his badge into his leg. Orihime stood up from where she had been kneeling on one of the cushions, and Chad stopped leaning against the wall. All three were ready to head out before Ichigo’s physical body hit the floor. He wished he’d remembered Kon…

Urahara moved to block the door. “Now hold on just a second. There’s no evidence of any portals from Hueco Mundo to the real world, the little birds I have floating around the Gotei 13 confirmed that, and you can’t leave this world without my help.”

Ichigo’s look darkened. “They wouldn’t do anything to save Orihime, what do you think they care about a Quincy!? And you’d better open the door or I’ll bash your face in!”

Urahara raised his hands up in a calming motion that Ichigo in no way appreciated. “Another point, our Ishida-san might be a prodigy, but I can’t fathom why Aizen would want him, and those Arrancar won’t move without his say so.”

“That’s what Ishida’s bastard of a Father said. Doesn’t make it any more true.”

“Or any less,” Urahara’s hat tilted in that way that shadowed his eyes; Ichigo didn’t like not being able to see people’s eyes. Normally, it just meant he didn’t have as big a hint on what they were going to do next, but right now it just reminded him of the way Ishida’s glasses would glint and become opaque. “It just doesn’t make sense for Aizen to kidnap our wayward Quincy, and while that might be reason enough if he wanted to prove he could strike at us, I doubt this would be the method.”

“But he’s still missing! You can’t tell me that if nether you or his Dad or anyone else can find him that something isn’t wrong!”

“I’m not arguing that, I’m just saying that we need to think about this.”

Ichigo glared at him before giving in with a curse and moving to kick a table across the room, barely missing his body. “So what can we do?” Ichigo questioned the scruffy looking ex-Shinigami once his immediate anger had been vented. 

“Well, my little birds have given me all the current information, and will tell me if anything pops up. Until then we could use more eyes to see with, nee?”

Ichigo took a deep breath, then slowly let it out like they taught him in all those awful anger management classes that the school counselor (after watching Ichigo’s version of standing up to the upper-classmen) insisted he attend.

The majority of the Gotei 13 ranked very far from the top of his favorite people list at the moment, but Sandal-Hat was right. The more people who knew about Ishida’s disappearance meant more eyes looking for his missing friend, consciously or not, and that was worth putting up with the degrading experience of asking that old bastard that called himself Sotaichou for help. The decrepit fart would probably act like an asshole again but some of the others would get the message and do the best they could to help out.

He looked over to Orihime and Chad who chimed in with their own affirmations.

“Open the gate.”

XXXXX

Another drop of blood trickled from Uryuu’s bitten-through lip, trailing down his jaw to curve along his ear and join the rest of the blood currently matting his black hair.

“Oh, so pretty… So pretty fighting the pain. I’m having so much fun that if I weren’t buried in your chest right now, I would even be half convinced you were female you’re so delightful,” the high pitched nearly sing-song voice taunted him again.

Another fiery slice of the scalpel traced along his left shoulder, a sharp contrast to the iciness of blood loss that permeated the rest of his flesh.

Strapped to the metal table warmed by his body and blood, Ishida wished he could do anything but lie there, feeling his Reiatsu being carefully peeled away layer by infinitesimal layer, and his flesh being carved at the hands of this monster.

Uryuu couldn’t scream. The only thing he could do was refuse to give Kurotsuchi the satisfaction of making him seem weak.

XXXXX  
End Chapter One  
XXXXX


	2. Chapter Two

XXXXX  
Chapter Two  
XXXXX

Ichigo stood stock still in front of the gigantic red doors that lead to the Taichou’s meeting hall. He didn’t know how long he’d waited (hours maybe?) but he wouldn’t move until that meeting got out and he could see the old bastard. 

He’d been lead to the right Hall by Renji, Yachiru, Ikkaku and Yumichika. The two Fukutaichous had intercepted word of his arrival by Sandal Hat’s portal and met him out in the Rukongai to see what chaos he would bring this time. Yachiru, believing he wanted to play with her Ken-chan, went on and on so excitedly he couldn’t explain to Renji’s worried scowl the real reason he had come.

Then Ikkaku and Yumichika had arrived and the Peacock proved his worth by somehow managing to get the little girl to quiet down. “Ishida’s gone missing, looks like it’s the same deal as Inoue.” Renji had frozen, eyes meeting Ichigo’s with a nod. The red head was in.

“We’re with you this time.” Ikkaku had said smirking madly, Yumichika nodding in agreement. 

“YAAYYY!!! LET’S GET KEN-CHAN TO BEAT THE BAD GUYS UP TOOOOO!!!!!”

Ichigo had liked that there was a Taichou’s meeting, and wanted to fling open the doors and start shouting, but Renji and Yumichika and had convinced him what a BAD idea that was. So they waited, Yumichika and Orihime doing their best to distract Yachiru from bursting into the meeting to get Kenpachi right away, Ikkaku sitting cross-legged against a wall with his Zanpaktou laid across his lap and Chad leaning against the same wall a few feet down. Renji constantly ducked in and out, letting Ichigo know Rukia was on her way from the Rukongai while Shuuhei, Kira and Rangiku tracked down and questioned everyone who might have noticed any portals or strange energy readings in the area. So far they couldn’t seem to find anything.

When he came back the final time he had Hanataru with him and the 4th Squad member was laden down with a giant, whipped cream covered dessert that Renji quickly scooped up double handed to present to Yachiru. She gave a squeal and dug in making little contented noises. Yumichika and Orihime both looked at him with relief pouring from their eyes. 

He just shrugged and moved over to stand by Ichigo’s side. “You know, glaring at the doors won’t get them to open any faster.” 

“Shut up, Baka,” he gave the door a quick break and glared at the red head instead.

“They’ve already sensed you; you’re shit at controlling your Reiatsu. I can guarantee that several Taichous are pushing the meeting to go as fast as Yamamoto-Sotaichou will let it.”

“With him as leader I’m surprised Soul Society’s still running,” Ichigo scowled at the door again. It had better open soon if it knew what was good for it.

“Don’t say things about stuff you don’t get Ichigo. The Sotaichou is-”

“He’s a ratty old bastard whose head is stuck up his over righteous ass!”

“Humph.” He could see that Renji really wanted to retort, but knew well enough that it wouldn’t help. Ichigo would never forgive the old man for leaving Inoue-san in Hueco Mundo or for having the gall to order him not to help someone important to him. That combined with what he’d been willing to do to Rukia…

With nearly perfect timing the doors to the meeting room swung open. Before Renji could blink Ichigo’s Zanpaktou was out, blocking Kenpachi’s. 

“So you’ve finally come to die, Kurosaki Ichigo!”

“Get over it ya nut job!” Ichigo braced and threw the battle hungry Taichou back ten feet.

“KEN-CHAN!! WE GET TO GO MASH THE WHITEY HOLLOWS!!”

All the Taichous who’d been watching in various states of amusement, terror, and/or disgust froze.

Renji moved well out of the way as Orihime and Chad came to flank Ichigo, the girl’s fists clenching so hard they shook. 

“What is this Substitute-Shinigami Kurosaki?” The Sotaichou’s Fukutaichou asked, moving forward a step.

“They… they took Ishida-san. No one can find him. They took him just like they took me,” Inoue said before Ichigo could say anything, the young girl stepping forward to face the old man.

The quiet turned into absolute silence, and Ichigo tensed as Byakuya’s eyes landed on Renji who just nodded, silently telling his Taichou that he and Rukia would be going. 

The Sotaichou stood slowly from the hall’s only chair, “explain further.”

XXXXX

Nemu stared down from the observation window as her Lord peeled back another layer of the young Quincy’s spirit. 

Something… hurt, somewhere in her chest. 

It puzzled her. She had taken no injuries and had just had a full physical so she knew it wasn’t a problem with her physiology.

It was disorienting to feel something that all logic argued she should not be feeling.

She also felt a strange pull towards the room. Perhaps it was related? But why, it wasn’t like this was any different from the other procedures she had witnessed, even if the subject had been one of the few people who had ever been pleasant to her.

A black butterfly fluttered down to hover over her shoulder and she held up a hand for it to land on.

The message that came through made her close her eyes. The Quincy’s disappearance from the living world had been noticed, it was suspected that the Arrancar were at fault. 

Not the 12th Squad. 

Not… her.

Nemu had been good at covering her tracks, taken the cups so that no one would be able to find any traces of the paralytic, used one of her Lord’s inventions to wipe all traces of her Reiatsu from the room. 

She had done what she had been created to do. Follow her Lord’s orders. She had exploited the small amount of trust that the young Quincy felt for her. Never had she felt this pang in her chest that was almost like… well, she wasn’t sure. It had no physical cause and she had no emotional precedent to judge it by.

She fulfilled her purpose so well not even a trace of her own portal to the living world remained, and the Sotaichou was in an uproar that their sensors had missed the possible appearance of Arrancar. He didn’t care what vital experiment the Taichou was in that caused him to miss the Taichou’s meeting, he was to appear before the Sotaichou to answer for the failure of their warning system right NOW.

Nemu left the observation room taking the steps that lead down to the surgery theatre. Her seals had never been as precise as she made her way through the various decontamination rooms leading to her Lord and the young Quincy. Nemu wanted to avoid bringing in anything that would damage the Quincy further. 

Damage him further then what has already been done?

Nemu tried to squash the voice in the back of her mind, but wasn’t quite able to.

“Mayuri-sama, the Sotaichou demands your presence.”

“Tell him I am busy.”

“The message says he does not care. The Quincy’s disappearance has been discovered and his friends believe it to be Arrancar. The Sotaichou demands to know how another intrusion into the Human World by the Arrancar has been missed.”

“As if I need to explain myself to those fools! If there was no trace of Arrancar detected, it was because there was no Arrancar! My sensors wouldn’t miss a thing!” The Taichou yanked his gloves off and dropped them to the floor, before turning to leave. “Foolish girl, make damn sure that they don’t screw my subject up and watch the dosage or he’ll ruin my results.”

“Yes, Mayuri–sama,” she gave a slight bow as he stormed off, not even bothering to take off his blood spattered over robe.

XXXXX

The Taichou that had threatened to dissect her showed up covered in blood, and Orihime shrieked instinctively.

Kurosaki-kun spun at her cry, but Orihime's Shun Shun Rikka had already launched into the air between her and the newcomer. 

“What is the meaning of this, young lady?” Demanded the Sotaichou.

She knew that all the eyes in the room were on the tableau they presented, and had to choke back her fear to speak. “I, I’m sorry… He startled me.” 

Everyone in the room looked at her, disbelief written on many of their faces. She silently called her Shun Shun Rika back. Baigon and Hinagiku landed on her shoulders and she felt their small hands rubbing comforting circles against her school uniform’s white shirt as Lily hovered between Orihime and where Kurotsuchi-Taichou would walk to reach the Sotaichou. She could feel the prongs of her hair pins that were Tsubaki practically buzzing with rage and it took a moment of concentrated will power to keep him from manifesting.

She made sure to shift closer to Ichigo as the strange Taichou moved further into the room. Kurosaki-kun, if just by her reaction, had narrowed his brown eyes at the Taichou and seemed ready to pull Zangetsu at the slightest provocation. Orihime smiled unnoticed up at him in an attempt to calm him down, what this man had done to Ishida and threatened to do to her back then weren’t as important as finding their missing friend now. She could be silent for his sake; she wouldn’t let this man cause Ishida any more pain by making them wait longer than they had to.

Those oddly colored eyes in that painted face stayed on her as the 12th Squad Taichou approached the Sotaichou. She could almost see the exact moment when Lily’s fluttering wings caught his eye and that intense focus shifted to the small Rikka, Orihime’s breath caught, unsure on whether or not to call Lily back. Then the Taichou’s hand snapped forward and literally extended to snag Lily out of the air.

“Let her go!” Orihime called out. Baigon and Hinagiku shot forward from her shoulders to hover over her head, and she could practically hear Tsubaki begging to be called forward.

“Tch, so troublesome. I just wanted a look,” Kurotsuchi flicked Lily back into the air where Baigon and Hinagiku caught her. They flew her back to Orihime, who quickly checked her over before allowing the Rikka to jump out of her hands. The three Shun Shun Rika formed a shield again before Orihime was even really conscious of her desire to call it and Mayuri only laughed, “My offer still stands, but its terms won’t last forever.” 

“That is enough!” The Sotaichou Fukutaichou’s voice called out.

No, it wasn’t, Orihime thought, and she knew in her heart that Ishida-san would forgive her for this. She just had to figure out how to say what she had to say. In the end her words came out louder then she’d meant. “I won’t be an experiment and neither will they!” She inched closer to Ichigo and her shield, backed by her determination, grew larger.

Kurosaki-kun quickly stepped protectively between her and the gruesome clown before them. Only Abarai-kun’s tight clench on his arm kept him from breaking Shinigami law (again) by drawing his Zanpaktou in Seireitei, and she wanted to cry out. Sado-kun’s large presence joined Ichigo and nearly blocked her view of the blood soaked 12th Squad Taichou. First Ishida-san, now Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun. She hated that she hid behind them, but this monster wasn’t one she knew how to deal with. They shouldn’t have to risk their lives for her!

“Stupid girl. I’m in the middle of something else interesting, not that I wouldn’t mind figuring out how you work in due time.”

“You won’t get near Orihime!” Kurosaki-kun growled out.

“Please, I hardly need another primary experiment until this one is completed! Stop being fools and have that impudent twit call off her little toy before I swat it down.” The man glared at them imperiously and Orihime could feel the tension in the room rising. There was some disgust mixed in, but people were moving as if used to seeing Kurotsuchi-Taichou covered in blood. “Though,” the man lightly touched a clean, white finger to his lips as if in thought, “if it hadn’t been for the Quincy brat I’d have already had you spread out on my table and then we’d have never had the trouble of your powers possibly falling into Aizen’s hands now would we? They’d be safely under my control.”

Abarai-kun was joined by Matsumoto-san (when had she arrived?) and a vaguely familiar black haired young man with a 69 and bar tattooed on his face in holding back her friends. She felt the strained atmosphere almost snap, and the battle that the two wanted to start to protect her played before her eyes along with the injuries they would take, and she didn’t know if she could stand it. This monster, the things Ishida had told her…

“I-Ishida-san should have killed you when he had the chance.”

Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun spun around to face her, eyes wide. Matsumoto-san and Abarai-kun were gapping a little at her as well, but she couldn’t help it as images of Shinigami bodies blown apart from the inside pushed to the forefront of her mind. She wouldn’t back down, she was stronger, she’d survived Hueco Mundo on her own before her friends came for her, and she could fight him even if she couldn’t win. She would be strong on her own. 

“Stupid girl there’s no way he could have killed me.”

And that made her furious. Ishida, he was so much better than this monster that killed his own people and she would fight this battle for her friend if it killed her. Truthfully, that was the most likely response to what she was saying, but Ishida-san would have died for her. “He could have! He told me about it when I thanked him for protecting me from you! Even barely trained and half dead like he was he still could have done more than just beat you! He just didn’t want to make your daughter see her family die in front of her eyes like he had to watch his Grandfather die because of you!!”

She was getting tired of the painted man mostly just standing there indifferently. Ichigo had gone kind of limp in Matsumoto-san and Abarai-kun’s grasps still staring at her in utter shock, and the black haired Shinigami barely had to hold onto Sado-kun. She couldn’t meet either of their eyes. She couldn’t believe, oh God, they’d fight for her and because of what he’d done to Ishida and how could she… 

“I REJECT!!!” Her shield spun and Orihime took the path it had cleared for her out the room before anyone could intervene.

XXXXX

“Inoue!” Ichigo moved to go after his friend before Rangiku caught his shoulder.

“I’ll take care of her. I promise.” She glanced at her Taichou for a moment, not really needing Toshiro’s nod to know it was okay for her to go after the distraught girl.

Rangiku didn’t bother looking to Renji or Shuuhei, she knew they would keep the two Ryouka from doing anything too stupid. She easily overcame Orihime with Shunpo and gently caught the girl’s arm as she ran blindly. Tears were welling in big gray eyes and they fell as the auburn girl realized who had come after her. Small hands clenched in Rangiku’s scarf, and the Shinigami pulled Orihime into a hug. They stood there for a moment in the hall, and she glared over auburn hair at any Shinigami who dared gape at them. 

Several minutes later when Orihime’s sobs had subsided slightly, Rangiku stepped back and looked down at the girl, smiling just a little. “Come on,” she said as she ruffled the girl’s hair like she did her Taichou’s on occasion. Where it made Toshiro glare and growl her name, it made Orihime smile, her cheeks moving up to dislodge a few drops of silver liquid. “Let’s get out of the hallway.” She gently led the girl to the Fukutaichous meeting room which was luckily a few doors down. Orihime settled against the wall, sliding down so her arms could wrap around her knees, and looked up at Rangiku.

“How stupid was that, Matsumoto-san? I wanted to fight that man for Ishida-san since he fought for me, but I just made things worse, because I can’t beat him so Kurosaki-kun and Sado-kun and Abarai-kun and all the others will fight for me and Ishida-san, but then Ishida-san is still missing, but the all blood, and they’ll fight and how could I be so stupid and selfish and we don’t have the time for this!” Another sob followed her ramble and Orihime buried her face in her arms.

Rangiku knelt down and tilted Orihime’s head up to meet her eyes. “Orihime, no one will blame you for shouting at Kurotsuchi-Taichou. Most of the people who saw you do it, feel exactly the same about him as you do. What we would do to that man if we could is one of the great drinking topics of Seireitei,” she carefully wiped Orihime’s cheeks.

“No, you, it’s just…” Orihime’s head tilted down and Rangiku brushed back a strand of hair that fell into the girl’s eyes. “He really did threaten to turn me into an experiment! And Ishida-san - - he carried around a picture of what he did to Ishida-san’s Grandfather and he just walked in there covered in blood and nobody cared! I had to stand up in Ishida-san’s place.”

Rangiku wasn’t quite sure how to go about explaining the Kurotsuchi-Taichou situation to the girl. For as long as she could remember rumors had circulated about the strange Taichou; that he did things that were inhuman, but it could never be proven. There were also the urban legends about wandering his Squads’ grounds after dark: that you disappeared and never came back. “Orihime, we don’t know for a fact that he would have done anything to you, but I promise you will never be alone where he can get you. We’ll protect you, I promise.”

Rangiku expected the girl to at least smile but instead the tears came rushing back.

“You shouldn’t have to protect me! Ishida-san lost his powers for me and Kurosaki-kun would have broken the laws and been hunted again and I should be able to fight just like they can! Be strong just like they can! How can they still care if they always have to risk their lives for me?”

Sometime while Orihime had been choking on her sobbed words she’d thrown herself forward into Rangiku’s arms, clutching tightly to the older woman, face upturned so that Rangiku nearly drowned in the poor girl’s stormy eyes. 

“Orihime-chan, they would rather die a million painful deaths then see a hair on your head hurt. It wouldn’t matter if you were stronger than them, because you stand by them, accept them. You put up with Kurosaki’s attitude and still smile so beautifully for him,” she lifted her hands from where they had wrapped around the younger girl to gently pinch her cheeks. “Despite how strong he is, you’re not afraid of him. You still laugh and make his world brighter. You thanked Ishida, then you listened to him, you let him talk. Do you think he’s really talked to anyone else about his Grandfather?” Orihime silently shook her head, more tears falling. “There, see? Those strong types, they fight and fight, and then they need someone to be there for them when the fighting is over. It doesn’t matter what makes them fight: the love of it, the pride, or the desire to protect. They still need you, because you make them whole.”

Rangiku thought of another woman’s healing smile, and gave a little laugh. “You’re just like a Unohana-Taichou in training, Orihime-chan. Do you know that even Zaraki-Taichou is terrified of her?” Orihime’s eyes grew wide in disbelief before her head flew back and forth, long auburn hair flying.

“She’s in charge of the medics though! Why is he scared of her!?” 

Rangiku had to grin. “Because she smiles, is truly, absolutely kind. He can’t fight her because of that; she would win hands down since he can’t even raise a blade against her.” Orihime was positively gaping. “You’re the same way,” Rangiku continued, “and you’re just as invaluable to your friends as she is to the Gotei 13. You heal them. You take care of them. You stand beside them and never waver in your protection of their hearts as their bodies protect the world. They are strong because you are,” she poked Orihime in the forehead and giggled when the girl went cross eyed following her finger.

“I-” Rangiku didn’t hear Orihime’s response as she jumped to her feet in response to the explosion of Reiatsu coming from down the hall. There were too many to pick out individuals, but they all raged wildly. 

“Stay here!” She shouted over her shoulder at Orihime who had moved to follow her as she raced across the room, throwing open the door and ending up in the middle of an all out brawl.

XXXXX  
End Chapter Two  
XXXXX


	3. Chapter Three

XXXXX

Chapter Three

XXXXX

Ichigo watched Rangiku-san rush from the room in a slight state of shock. He hadn’t really run into this Kurotsuchi during any of his time in Soul Society, and from what little he’d heard hadn’t had too high of expectations. But from Inoue’s outburst and the disgust on the faces of the Shinigami he liked or respected, he scribbled this guy on his to-be-sliced-and-diced list somewhere under Aizen but above Ishida’s Father.

“Twelfth Squad Taichou Mayuri Kurotsuchi. What do you have to say for the failure of your Squad in the matter of the detection of Arrancar in the Human World?”

Kurotsuchi waved his hand nonchalantly. “My Squad did not fail. If there was no reading of Arrancar, then there was no intrusion. Simple.”

“Yeah well you sure failed when they took Inoue.” Kurotsuchi’s strange golden eyes glared at Ichigo who just smirked back. Ishida could glare worse blindfolded. “’Sides, who else would take Ishida? Sure wasn’t the Vizard and that other bastard won’t forgive him for helping me so he wouldn’t take him either.”

“Other bastard? As in, another Quincy? Really, I thought I had gathered up the last of them, yet more keep appearing. Where can I find this other Quincy?” Kurotsuchi’s head twitched to the side at an almost impossible angle and Ichigo recoiled.

“Like hell I’d tell you, you sicko.”

BANG “Enough.” All eyes turned towards the Sotaichou who had slammed his walking stick into the floor. Renji and Shuuhei moved away from Ichigo and he glanced around. All the Shinigami had fallen into ranks, with the Fukutaichous at their Taichou’s right shoulders just like Chad was at his, and everyone resembled marble statues staring intently ahead. Shuuhei and Kira stood alone, and an obvious hole remained in between Unohana-Taichou and Byakuya. Another one fell between Kenpachi and Ukitake-Taichou where the wannabe clown would go. The lines of Taichous and Fukutaichous were half in the meeting room, half in the waiting hall with Kurotsuchi at one end, Ichigo and Chad at the other. A crowd had gathered, some pretending to pay attention to other things, some blatantly staring. All of them had frozen in position at the Old Bastard’s order.

“Kurotsuchi-Taichou, despite your assurances, Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki is correct. There does appear to be some holes in our sensor areas. I want you to forget whatever it is you are working on,” a quick glance over the blood drenched robes, “and look at the scans of the area surrounding Karakura Town personally, see if you can’t spot anything your subordinates missed that might allow us to know how these Arrancar slipped through our sensors. Then upgrade the systems _immediately_ so that we do not miss any other incursions from Hueco Mundo to the Human World.”

“As much I would love to, I really can’t let this little research project wait. It could be of great use in the upcoming battles, and it is very time sensitive. My current subject is strong, but it won’t be long now before his physical body expires and I really need to track the current pathways and structures before that happens and his Reiatsu transforms from human to soul.”

 Zangetsu streaked for Kurotsuchi’s head before Ichigo realized it, only to crash to a halt on Byakuya’s Zanpaktou. Ichigo recognized the stern look on the noble’s face even as Shuuhei grabbed his other arm, and the entire area seemed as if it had been hit with a binding Kido. Kurotsuchi just looked smugly at Ichigo.

“Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki. I understand that your situation is stressful, but that is no reason to attack a Taichou,” the Old Bastard’s voice stated with absolute authority from behind Ichigo. “Given your history I am afraid that I must insist on your staying in Seireitei until further research can be done. You will _not_ go half cocked to Hueco Mundo and you _will_ await my orders. You and your friends may stay in the barracks of whichever Squad you chose until then. Kurotsuchi-Taichou, you may finish whatever you were doing, quickly, but I want some of your people working on this now.”

“Yes, Sotaichou.” The _thing_ gave a slight bow before grinning madly at Ichigo and turning to leave the area through a hastily cleared corridor of Shinigami.

Ishida had never really liked Shinigami. Ishida had hated them for not doing anything to help his Grandfather when he’d been too weak to. Ishida had told Inoue that the thing moving hastily down the hall was the main reason he’d had to watch his most important person die like Ichigo’d seen his Mom die. The only thing Ishida hated more than Shinigami (or buttons, Ichigo thought strangely) was indifference to suffering. Ishida, wherever he was, wherever he would be when this was over, would never forgive Ichigo if he didn’t do everything in his power to save the person from that Thing. When the Quincy heard about this he’d probably even pause his tirade against Shinigami to politely (and a little primly) thank Ichigo.

“You don’t care that he’s dissecting someone alive? That he’s going to kill them?” Ichigo still couldn’t quite believe these revelations, and had to reassure himself it was the only option before he made his final decision to back burner one rescue attempt for another. His eyes flew around trying to find someone who would meet them. Renji just nodded to him, even as he backed from the line of Fukutaichous, but his face and eyes remained as blank and stern as his Taichou’s so Ichigo didn’t know where his friend fell on this matter. Toshiro shook, looking at his feet clenching nearly white fists. Soi Fong looked barely interested. Kira just stood there, his face unsure. Unohana-Taichou’s face had transformed into a stoic mask, her gaze locked with Byakuya’s. Her silver haired Fukutaichou looked like she wanted to panic. Komamura had grasped the hilt of his Zanpaktou and kept looking at the Sotaichou for orders. Kyoraku-Taichou and Ukitake-Taichou were staring at each other with strange looks of confirmation on their faces and their Fukutaichous had become focused only on them. Kenpachi was grinning madly with a hand on his Zanpaktou and Yachiru giggling quietly on his shoulder.

“This is war. I don’t expect a child to understand the necessary sacrifices we must make.” The Sotaichou stated calmly.

Ichigo stood there, Zangetsu locked with Senbonzakura and Suuhei’s grip tight on his upper arm, and twisted his head to stare over his shoulder at the Old Bastard as he turned on his heel and left through a door at the rear of the Taichou’s Hall, his Fukutaichou at his shoulder. He shifted to look at Byakuya’s blank face, the shame on Shuuhei’s, and the gamut of looks from everyone else. Were these people really letting this happen?

They were fighters! Protectors!

They couldn’t just go about their day knowing that this thing was in his lab cutting up some living and breathing person.

Ichigo realized his glare had turned defiant and he silently urged them to act, desperately wanting to see the good people he believed them to be. They were strong, honest and caring, they were... _not moving_. They were all just standing there, letting that thing go so he could finish dissecting someone’s body and soul no matter what the looks of disgust on their faces said.

“Ishida was right.” He heard himself say. “You Shinigami, you just let that… _thing_ go, knowing he’s going to torture someone! You Shinigami are nothing but monsters, hell you’re just like the Arrancar!” He shoved away from the two Shinigami and broke into the fastest Shunpo he could, aiming to intercept the retreating 12 th Squad Taichou, only to be stopped halfway to his target by Byakuya.

“There’s nothing to be done, Kurosaki. He has his permission -now orders- to continue.”

“Orders that are bullshit!”

He didn’t really care that they had stopped in the middle of a semi-crowded walkway growing more packed by the second with those that followed them from the meeting hall, or that he was screaming at a Taichou in the middle of an audience. Someone was being tortured, Ishida was missing and unsurprisingly Soul Society seemed too concerned with itself and its Old Bastard’s orders to do anything useful. Nothing was good or right about _any_ of this.

“It doesn’t matter,” came a quiet voice from behind him. Ichigo looked over his shoulder at Toshiro whose robes were still calming from Shunpo, unwilling to believe that the young Taichou said that. This kid, who had a smart mouth but was generally good, and caring and – and… everything. This boy who helped his little sister win a damn soccer match and let her score the last goal! “I wish it did,” the white haired boy took another small step forward. Pain filled ice blue eyes meet his own shocked brown before falling to the ground, “but it never does to them.”

“Then do something!” Toshiro just kept his eyes averted as a shudder ran over his small frame, and something in Ichigo rebelled. “Fuck this!” He shifted his grip on Zangetsu and said a silent prayer that Chad and Inoue wouldn’t be stuck in the crossfire, and that he’d be in good enough shape when this was over to actually save Ishida.

Kenpachi’s laugh was the last thing he really heard before he started to fight for real.

XXXXX

Nemu shifted as she felt the explosion of Reiatsu from the Quincy’s friends somewhere outside. She doubted that Mayuri-sama let it slip who his test subject was, so she knew it had to be from something else, but --

“Wait! You can’t go in there!” Nemu looked up towards the window in time to see one of her squad members thrown against the clear surface with an audible crack and saw lines appear on the supposedly unbreakable glass. As the injured Shinigami slid down the spider webbed surface 6th Squad Fukutaichou Renji Abarai appeared, his tattoos and black robes blending with the cracks making him appear a blood crowned spirit looking down at the bloody scene at Nemu’s back. She could tell the exact moment it truly registered on his face who was down there being held open, waiting for her Lord.

When the rage flew over Abarai’s face Nemu recognized the feeling in her chest to be the same one that she had felt whenever she survived her Father’s experiments, when she survived the fight between her Lord and the boy on the table, and when that boy, Uryuu, trustingly took the antidote to her Father’s poison from her before the damage became irreversible.

Her mouth felt odd, and as the window finished shattering and the violent red head landed in front of her, she reached a hand up, and lightly touched the corners of her mouth, which were turned upwards in what could only be a smile.

XXXXX

Ikkaku, who had just been literally thrown _over_ multiple open walkways by a reckless sweep of Komamura-Taichou’s rather annoying Giant Arm Zanpaktou as it tried to grab Ichigo, couldn’t help but laugh as he parried the blow from nameless opponent as he made his way back to the main may lay and a better fight. Rukia, who Ikkaku had crash landed in front of, fought beside him, seemingly intent on reaching the same area he aimed for. Every now and then he saw her glancing around -- looking for her friends, he guessed. Not that you could see much besides the opponent before you in the beautiful chaos surrounding them.

Even as far from the Taichous as they were the sheer number of Hado spells and Shikai Zanpaktous flying about made moving quickly a risky option. It was a battle royal, a fight that had his blood singing and made him glad to be alive. He felt sure that battle cries and shouted Kido spells could be heard all over Seireitei, possibly even in the Rukongai.

It had only been the Taichous, Fukutaichous and the members of the 11th Squad at first, blade to blade as people backed Ichigo or tried to get him to stop. Then Kenpachi went a little berserk on Byakuya, making the noble the first to break the laws as he had to release his Shikai to avoid being cleaved in two by a particularly quick, powerful blow.

It had been stunned silence for a moment and then more Zanpaktous had been released in a fury of shouted names and swirling, dance like motions as people tried to counter each other.

Unohana-Taichou had tried calling for peace, but it had been a futile urging, barely heard over the rush of Reiatsu and blood in their ears. She had quickly thrown up shields to protect the less powerful Shinigami around the more powerful fighters, but it hadn’t helped as they started fighting amongst themselves as well, mostly in Squads in defense of their Taichous or friends, but soon no one had been able to really tell whose side the person across from them had been on.

So many Reiatsus had peaked around him that what he could sense beneath the Taichous overwhelming presence was no help in telling people apart amidst the flashing of sword blades, Hado attacks, Bakudo shields and the rising dusty smoke. He knew that most of the Shinigami weren’t aware of the fights cause. It was the closest Ikkaku had seen to the outer edges of the Rukongai since becoming a Shinigami. Everyone fought everyone, there were no sides, and people just parried thrusts towards their hearts and counter attacked, even if it wasn’t against the same opponent.

It didn’t even matter that so many of the people Ikkaku fought were weaker; since so many people were fighting he had to get creative. He and Rukia couldn’t even leap the walls and go by rooftop because the battle had moved there too. Several sections had been so damaged he heard them starting to crumble under the weight of fighters on top of them.

He could hear a few people shouting for calm; mostly fourth squad members that had managed to avoid injury if only because the weaklings were so damn good at darting away from attacks to make it to the wounded. He finally heard Kuchiki actually shout in frustration when she threw the 10th Squads 14th Seat up over the wall (as an icicle he might add) as he nailed the 5th Squads 8th Seat in the head with Hoozukimaru's pole. He really didn’t get why Renji was so protective of her, the Kuchiki Princess was more than holding her own.

“Throw me!” she called to him as she locked blades with another lower ranked Shinigami, and spun around to slam her elbow against the back of his head, twisting her blade so that both swords were out of the way of his fall.

“You sure?” She scowled and he laughed again, “Don’t land in front of a Kido blast!” He spun around, placing Hoozukimaru to catch her jump, and then something snagged the collar of his uniform. Both their eyes widened before he crashed into her, and a dark hand locked onto Rukia’s robe and somebody lifted them into the air.

“Yoruichi-san!” Rukia called out, and Ikkaku glared at the sleekly beautiful woman holding them both up easily as she flash stepped through the fighters. (Ikkaku had to admit a slight amount of awe at the woman’s maneuverability, which easily beat Soi Fong’s.) He didn’t have the chance to complain about how she manhandled him because before Ikkaku could take a deep enough breath to scream at her she had released both of them, sending them crashing into several sets of fighters before they stopped. Ikkaku wanted to yell at her even more for that before he spotted a scowling Yumichika facing off against a smirking Shuuhei (again) and changed his mind. They were back at the best area of the fight no matter how annoying the method of travel had been.

Ikkaku shoved up from the pile of limbs. Deftly twirling Hoozukimaru he stepped forward as Rukia yelled at someone, calling them a hentai, and a wave of cold rushed against his back, helping to push him forward.

Suddenly, a wave of Reiatsu washed over the crowd of fighters from the Twelfth Squad’s buildings, one that Ikkaku knew without a doubt wasn’t a Shinigami’s. It didn’t have that sharpness that came with a Soul’s. It belonged to someone still living and it was powerful, growing more so very quickly.

“Ishida-san!” He turned to stare at Rukia, wondering why she had called the missing Quincy’s name, her eyes grown wide in fear.

Rukia Flash Stepped away, easily maneuvering around the fighters as they stopped battling to stare at the strange arc of blue now towering over the buildings. He darted after her as Yumichika, Shuuhei, Iba and Kira fell in beside him. Yoruichi and Soi Fong darted past them. They landed in the middle of the particularly ravaged area that surrounded most of the Taichous.

He could feel all the Reiatsu curling back into its owners, see varied weapons and strange constructs whirl back into blades quickly sheathed as people wondered at the growing blue dome that was spreading on the horizon. Rukia literally shoved Ukitake-Taichou out of her way in her rush to get to where Ichigo stood, blade held high against the cherry blossoms still idly floating around him as stared in shocked recognition at the blue Reiatsu. He heard the 13th Taichou’s exclamation of surprise, and Ikkaku’s eyes bugged a little as it didn’t slow her down. The other Ryouka were rushing towards him as well, the girl tripping and falling, Rangiku by her side, the boy leaping on his own.

Yoruichi appeared by Ichigo, talking quickly and firmly like people would do around Kenpachi occasionally.

“Oh, this won’t be pretty.” He glanced at Yumichika, who raised his decorated eyebrow and flipped his hair back and nodded towards the blue Reiatsu. “Isn’t that rather lovely shade familiar?” And everything clicked. It was the same shade as that Quincy’s bow.

He scanned the growing Reiatsu again, forced himself to sense beyond its sheer presence, felt its pain, and then recognized it. He hadn’t been around the boy very often, but his Reiatsu combined with the stories that floated around about Quincies after the dark haired fighter had taken Mayuri down, had made him pay attention to the kid to see if he’d be a good opponent.

The friend that caused Kurosaki to come was already here, and his Reiatsu just exploded from the 12th Squad’s grounds.

Kurotsuchi-Taichou had been covered in the blood of a living human.

The orange haired Shinigami’s face became blank as the other fighter accepted recognizing the Reiatsu, realizing the blood coating Kurotsuchi belonged to his friend. A burst of Reiatsu blew everyone away from Ichigo. Rangiku caught the girl, and the others near him managed to twist themselves in the air to mostly land on their feet.

A demented cackle escaped a grin that began to stretch Ichigo’s face almost in two, and Ikkaku took a few steps forward as darkness began to creep through Reiatsu. His orange topped head twisted to the side just a little further than it should and Ikkaku blinked to clear his vision, it looked as if Ichigo’s eyes had turned black and gold like a Hollows. The teen gave another screeching laugh and raised a hand to his face staggering before he muttered “what are you doing?”

Ikkaku took a few more steps forward until Kenpachi shifted in front of him, “Taichou?” he looked up at the towering from and just nodded at the possessive smirk on the man’s face.

The area had gone silent except for the substitute’s heavy breathing, and then the teen’s hand dropped with a soft but harshly uttered “ok.” A shift of colors started to swirl over his face from where his hand had been. The color crept and crawled and the darkness that had been making its way through the boy’s Reiatsu shot out to encompass it completely and the Reiatsu kept growing, and the colors swirling over Kurosaki’s face formed into a solid, gleaming white mask with stripes the color of dried blood delicately curving along one side.

The boy hefted his Zanpaktou, pointing it at where Kurotsuchi stood near Komamura-Taichou with his trident held high, and in a lilting, scratchy voice called out. “Bankai.”

Then Kuchiki-Taichou uncharacteristically but literally screamed for them all to evacuate the area around the fight and the growing Reiatsu from the 12th Squad buildings.

XXXXX

It hadn’t taken as long as he had anticipated to barter Ichigo into joint control. It had also taken considerably less arguing than it usually did, for which he couldn’t blame the King, and wouldn’t complain.

After all, the boy was theirs (though Ichigo would say his alone).

“Die!”

He felt the force of their combined power shoot through the King’s veins as he launched towards the _thing_ that had hurt their toy. A flurry of sakura blossom blades swirled in front of him, and they howled as it let the _thing_ dodge Tensa Zangetsu’s strike. Their Rukia’s brother knew what he could do and was trying to fight them. He fumed, and decided he’d see the noble broken at their feet whether Ichigo agreed or not.

Even as the King pivoted amidst the swirling pink blades and the crushing, giant fists and the chipped blade and bells, he used the King’s senses to do a quick check around since despite all the warnings Ichigo still hadn’t fully grasped sensing Reiatsu worth a damn. If their little Quincy was here, all their toys deserved to fight for him and not some nameless victim that his King foolishly took pity on. All of theirs in Seireitei were accounted for, including Renji, who was near Ishida.

Annoyingly enough Renji’s Reiatsu was disappearing, being beaten down by Ishida’s growing strength.

He rallied against his bonds. A fight meant joy and this _thing_ deserved the torture it was about to be put through for daring to hurt what was theirs. He could feel the emotions pouring from several of the others who followed the King, even if they didn’t play with him now, the _thing_ wasn’t going anywhere except in a nice little cage to wait for what they would do to it. They had time to fight to save their pets, their toys. Their prize wouldn’t be stripped from them before they could finish the fight.

It didn’t take long for the boy to catch on, and they darted away from the battle towards where the two precious Reiatsus originated.

“Kurosaki-kun! Wait!”

They didn’t.

XXXXX

Renji winced as he felt the shinning blue Reiatsu lash against his again. He was hunkered behind some type of shield that the 12th Squad Fukutaichou had thrown up over him and the two surviving aides from the operating room. They huddled close together on a small chunk of floor that was all that remained of the room, probably the whole building if not more thanks to the little ball of shield hanging suspended in the blue field of Uryuu Ishida’s Reiatsu.

The other Fukutaichou tersely explained what was happening as the shield hummed around them. Part of their experiments had included removing the natural barriers and limits in the Quincy’s mind that controlled his powers. Instead of taking small amounts of ambient Reiatsu from the air like he usually did, the boy was consuming everything made of Spirit Particles.

“Without it we would be dead, but even this shield is having trouble blocking Ishida-san’s full power. We need to find a way out of here,” she concluded.

“I’m not so pathetic that I can’t feel my Reiatsu being eaten, thank you,” he scowled and she just calmly tilted her head to the side. Okay so he had thought it was being battered down and not eaten until a few minutes ago but that didn’t really matter. “Like you said we’re all dead without this shield so unless you got something else hidden up that sleeve, just shut up so we can wait for the reinforcements.”

“They will not be able to get through his Reiatsu, and we won’t be able to Shunpo out either. As you’ve seen the Quincy’s power will eat everything, _including Shinigami,_ and convert it into pure power. We have severed nearly all the connections from his will to his Reiatsu so we cannot even hope for him to overcome the pain and bring it back under control himself.”

Renji flinched as he recalled the sight he had stumbled upon. Not even seeing all the blood coating Kurotsuchi had prepared him for the sight of the Quincy laid out naked on the table, multiple slices in his arms and legs held open by sutures exposing muscle, tendon and bone. There were slightly closed cuts on his chest that Renji vaguely recognized from the classes seat five and up routinely had to take for field surgeries and he had wanted to throw up. There had been only minimal dressings and closures. He had over heard them mention something about increasing the dosage of a drug to keep the Quincy from moving due to stimuli, and realized they weren’t even dosing the kid to numb him -- that he had felt every single thing they had done to him. Then red had filtered over his vision in a way that hadn’t happened since Rukia was nearly executed.

The blood haze hadn’t left until he had sliced an IV line leading to the kid in order to get him to the 4th Squad, then it had been replaced by bright blue and the only thing that saved him had been the 12th’s Fukutaichou snagging him back behind the shield.

“You’re not sparkin’ any new ideas here,” he shifted uncomfortably, eyeing the shield.

“I’m trying to lead us to the only option.” Her calm voice was gonna get really irritating really soon.

“Well stop being so annoying and let’s hear it.”

“It isn’t one that you’ll like.”

He scowled, “lady, if it keeps the kid from eating us, I’m up for it.”

Nemu looked up at him with bright black eyes, and he swore that he saw tears in them before she blinked and turned to look over at where Ishida was barely visible, floating from the Reiatsu forcing itself into him from beneath. The Quincy’s aura had already disintegrated the table, the equipment and the floor.

“Please implement the strongest Kido shields that you can. They should not have to last long.”

“What are you planning, Kurotsuchi-Fukutaichou?”

She didn’t even turn to look at him. “Please, Abarai-Fukutaichou. I doubt that a 9th and 13th seat will be able to withstand Uryuu-san’s Reiatsu without help.”

His eyes narrowed at her, if she was going to take it and run…“Where’s the shield going?”

She smiled sadly. “I will need it so that I can survive long enough to tap him with this.” She pulled out a needle from her sleeve. Renji felt something inside him clench, and he had to fight down the automatic urge to reverse the needle and shove it into the construct, but she had helped him…

Still it couldn’t hurt to ask. “It won’t-”

“No. It is a drug my Father designed specifically for the Quincies. It contains a form of what was in the IV you pulled out. It is less powerful but will last longer, about fifteen minutes.”

He scowled at the shield which was his second objection; he really didn’t want it to go anywhere. “Why can’t you just fucking throw the thing?”

“Because Uryuu-san’s power would absorb it before it could reach him. You will have to get him to either Unohana-Taichou or that Ryouka girl and instruct them to repair the walls and the pathways to his will.”

He blinked. “The what?”

“The Taichou will understand and the girl’s powers will do it for her. You have to be fast, if his Reiatsu reacts again before they finish…” her voice faded as she looked at the blue encompassing their small refuge.

He frowned, it sounded like the Quincy needed some very specific medical voodoo done to him, and Renji didn’t trust himself with an area that was one of his weakest, not with the life of a brilliant, courageous kid that had stood back to back with him in Hueco Mundo on the line. “Why don’t I hit the kid and you explain all this to them?”

“Because his power will be greater the closer you move to him, and not even this shield will be able to withstand Uryuu-san’s Reiatsu.” Renji scowled as that sunk in.

It would be a one way trip.

“Sounds like an even better reason for you to give me that needle and tell me how to use the shield.”

“It is my fault he’s here, Abarai-Fukutaichou,” she glanced back at him and Renji saw something on her face that was even more out of place then the strange smile she’d worn earlier. He didn’t know... it kind of looked like regret, but not really.

All he could do was nod, “good luck.”

“You as well, Abarai-Fukutaichou,” she moved to release the shield then paused. “Also, the third east building on block 4 of the 12th Squad barracks will need attending to if it has not been destroyed. And tell Uryuu-san, that I thank him once more, and this time, it is for myself.”

He nodded again, “as soon as the kid is safe.”

Renji turned to the two cowering 12th Squad members that had tried to get between him and the Quincy rather than help him like the Fukutaichou. If he didn’t want someone still breathing who knew exactly what the bastard had done to the Quincy every step of the way he would have let Ishida’s Reiatsu eat those two just like the rest of them.

“Shields now you losers, I want you alive until I can question you.”

They both stumbled through their forms and Renji scowled at their weakness. His own shield remained strong despite the damage taken from the Quincy’s draining, and he nodded at the long haired girl who immediately dropped the shields range and launched herself forward towards the Quincy with a blast of Shunpo.

She spun, putting her back to the Quincy, cradling the needle protectively to her chest as she hurtled through the air.

Renji felt blood fill his mouth as he bit back a shout as her shield dissipated.

She didn’t cry out as the bright Quincy blue enveloped her, her face losing that look of regret before it vanished.

XXXXX

End Chapter Three

XXXXX


	4. Chapter Four

XXXXX

Chapter Four

XXXXX

 

About half of the 12th Squad area had been consumed in blue along with a good quarter of the 13th, and a small section of the 11th. The initial blast had covered half the area and the sphere had steadily increased to its current size. It didn’t show any signs of stopping or slowing.

 

Ichigo paced on the rooftop at the edge of Ishida’s power, it was disappearing millimeter by millimeter and soon he’d have to jump to the next one back. His Hollow, a shivering mass of anger just underneath his skin, grabbed for power each time they had to retreat even a step. Ichigo had to take the step though, and fought to shove the Hollow back into his bonds and keep the mask from forming and going berserk again, it wouldn’t help anyone. Not Ishida and not Renji.

 

He glanced at his friend’s Taichou. Byakuya glared at the blue sphere, and Ichigo could see the stoic swordsman blaming himself. After he had forced his little sister out of harm’s way by ordering her to help with the evacuation, Byakuya had raced after Ichigo who had run right into the wall of Reiatsu. It had literally tried to tear him apart. Rukia’s older brother had been the one that had saved him, using a Kido shield and a swirl of Senbonzakura to pull him out. He had been dazed enough from the pain that he’d barely been able to dissolve his mask and force his Hollow down so it didn’t lash out at the other Shinigami in pure frustration.

 

Then Byakuya told Ichigo he had put it together the moment Mayuri had shown up covered in blood and that was the cause for Renji’s presence in the middle of the Reiatsu sphere. The 6th Squad Taichou had ordered his Fukutaichou around the back way to the 12th Squad's territory to quietly search for the Quincy while trying to keep Ichigo there, a boiling rage of Reiatsu that would distract everyone from following Renji’s trail as he went to save the boy. Unohana-Taichou had realized it as well, and she’d informed Byakuya with a mere glance she would protect the boy if he could be brought to her infirmary.

 

They’d waited outside the sphere until the others had caught up. In between the two of them they’d sent most everybody back to the main battle site to help move all the injured, but a few had stayed.

 

Orihime and Chad he’d sent back to go to the 4th Squad’s triage area; Chad mainly went to keep an eye on her as she would inevitably ignore her surroundings as she healed people. The Thing had apparently been sent with the casualties under watch in the name of expediency. Rangiku was the only Shinigami he really felt safe trusting that had gone along specifically to guard the Thing that was in pretty close proximity to his friends. Rukia would be too busy to notice trouble right away and he was still trying to figure out who else among the ranks of the Gotei 13 could be trusted.

 

Especially among the Taichous and Fukutaichous.

 

He stepped back again as the slate roof tile under his foot slid into the blue Reiatsu and round housed his Hollow back to the sideways world of his unconscious mind.

 

Beyond the stoically fuming noble next to him stood Toshiro looking more pale than usual, his eyes were darting wildly, landing everywhere but the blue wall of Ishida’s Reiatsu as he waited. Every now and then he politely brushed off a worried looking Ukitake-Taichou when the man tried to talk to the boy. Ichigo wasn’t quite sure what to think right now in regards to the young Taichou, so left him up to Ukitake-Taichou and Kyoraku-Taichou, who was at his friend’s shoulder along with his Fukutaichou and those strange two almost Fukutaichous from Rukia’s Squad.

 

Soi Fong and her hulking Fukutaichou hovered near Yoruichi who ignored them to talk with Urahara on a cell phone, constantly updating him and shooting down his suggestions. Apparently while she was relatively safe here since she had family who would protect her, Urahara couldn’t come in person without being arrested. Ichigo would beat anyone who had issues accepting the man’s help if it meant getting back Ishida. Sandal Hat had his problems with honesty, but he was still better than most of the Shinigami.

 

 All of his friends from the 11th Squad were bristling near their Taichou, looking ready to pile on him to prevent him from jumping into the blue light and being eaten as he tried to fight it. Even Yachiru remained strangely quiet, holding tight to her Ken-chan’s shoulder.

 

Shuuhei and Kira had shown up a few minutes before, quietly relaying information into what had to be telepathic seals like the one used to warn them about Aizen. That or they’d gone nuts, which was also a possibility but not something he really cared about at the moment.

 

For all they were focused on the blue sphere, it took them a moment to realize they were staring at plain air when it suddenly dissipated.

 

In mass, they hurtled into the smooth crater created by Ishida’s Reiatsu. Ichigo saw some motion towards the center of the giant hole in the ground, but couldn’t quite see details. Ichigo stretched his senses as much as possible. Renji’s Reiatsu was coming towards them with two stationary, really weak presences behind him, but he couldn’t feel Ishida at all.

 

Then Renji finally came into his sight, cradling a naked Ishida to his chest. (And wouldn’t that just embarrass the Quincy six ways to Hueco Mundo when he came out of it.)

 

When they got close enough Renji’s eyes met his and Ichigo moved faster at the relief that poured from them. He barely made it in time to snag Ishida from Renji before they both fell, Renji staggering a few steps before collapsing into his Taichou’s arms. Ishida whimpered, and it took everything Ichigo had to not recoil in terror and drop the dark haired teen as he realized that he had grasped his friend over gaping wounds and that every shift of his hands pulled back flesh from open cuts and that in some places he was touching Ishida’s muscles and that blood oozed out from every cut that he tore open further just by shifting and the warm fluid dripped along the remnants of Ishida’s flesh to seep into the Substitute Shinigami’s uniform, just like it had soaked Renji’s straight through. Oh God, how could Ishida still bleed much less breathe?

 

“Drug won’ last long, gotta get him ta Unohana-Taichou, she said ‘pair the walls ta his will,” Renji breathed out unsteadily, and Ichigo winced at how weak Renji seemed to his senses. He was hard pressed to keep from gaping at Renji’s current accent too; poor guy must be flat exhausted to not be able to maintain the nearly flawless control he had over it, especially in front of his Taichou.

 

He clutched Ishida as tightly as he dared, and prepared to Shunpo towards Orihime despite Renji’s insistence on the 4th’s Taichou. He had no intention of leaving Ishida in anyone else’s care. Before he’d finished turning Ukitake-Taichou grabbed his arm; he was really tired of people doing that to him today. “You can’t take him there.” Ichigo took a second to think up a proper insult before going anyway when Ukitake-Taichou held up his hand.

 

“I’ve already had Hisagi-Fukutaichou send word. Unohana-Taichou and Inoue-san are on their way, however Abarai-Fukutaichou said this calm will not last long. We cannot risk him being in a populated area if his Reiatsu reacts again.”

 

“Put him down. We don’t want to aggravate his wounds further,” he looked over at Kyoraku-Taichou’s words, the man had draped his flowered haori and Taichou’s robe on the sloped pavement while Toshiro dropped to his knees, intent on awkwardly bundling his own Taichou’s robe into a pillow even as he drew Hyorinmaru with his other hand and created a small ramp of ice that the 8th Squad Taichou helped him shift the hastily made bed onto so it was level. The cold would also help numb the pain and slow the bleeding.

 

Ichigo instinctively pulled Ishida tighter against him only to have his friend give a hoarse mumble and twitch, and Ichigo focused on pale lips that were nearly bitten off. He wanted to head for Orihime, but they were right. Besides, Ishida would never forgive himself if he hurt one of the few innocent bystanders in the Gotei 13 with his precious Quincy abilities.

 

He carefully knelt laying the smaller teen on the makeshift pallet, Ukitake-Taichou immediately kneeling beside them. The Taichou glanced up at Ichigo and he nodded once, trusting Rukia’s Taichou to not hurt his friend further.

 

Of course Yoruichi standing at Ishida’s side didn’t hurt either. She’d drop kick the Taichou’s head all the way to Earth if she thought he would hurt anyone under her protection.

 

Ukitake-Taichou placed a slightly glowing hand on Ishida’s forehead and Ichigo couldn’t help but breathe a little easier as the lines of pain that traced his friend’s face and body eased. He vaguely heard a lot of mutterings over his head but couldn’t remove his eyes from the Quincy’s strangely peaceful face for even a second. Then he heard Renji scream in pain and glanced up to see Byakuya wave a sweet bun in front of Yachiru and the pink fluff bundle of a Fukutaichou release her death glomp on Renji’s neck in order to dive after it. He smiled a little as he realized where Renji had picked up the trick he had used earlier while they had been waiting for the meeting to let out.

 

“You okay, Renji?”

 

The Fukutaichou glanced at him for a second, and Ichigo was sure the answer would be no from the pain that he saw in the Shinigami’s eyes before the red head glanced at Ishida. Then a confidant smirk twisted the corners of his mouth and his expression lit up with sparkle that Ichigo knew from personal experience meant whoever had hurt the tattooed man’s friend would be in some serious pain very soon.

 

“Tch, like tha’ pansy would be able ta’ take me down.”

 

“Ishida would stitch Quincy crosses onto your own pansy ass from a mile away and then press it to make curtains.”

 

Renji threw back his head and laughed making Ichigo smile madly. The Taichous and Fukutaichous looked at them like they’d just suggested a treaty between Shinigami and Hollows while Yoruichi just shook her head in exasperation.

 

They all quieted as Ishida whimpered and then Renji nodded for a second before pushing himself up off of the ground.

 

“Abarai?” Byakuya said, looking at his obviously drained of Reiatsu Fukutaichou who should most definitely not be standing.

 

“I’m fine, Taichou.” Renji took a deep breath. “Hey Peacock, there are a coupla’ 12th goons over there that need to be dragged ovah if ya can do me the favor. Knocked ‘em out ‘fore I ran with the kid since they were helpin’ the monster, an’ I want ‘em to answer for it.”

 

“Move it, Ayasegawa,” Kenpachi’s gravelly voice boomed out. Ichigo glanced at the towering madman and got more than a little nervous, especially since he couldn’t quite tell what the strange grimace on his scarred face meant.

 

Ichigo watched Yumichika vanish in a haze of flash step towards the direction that Renji had come from. He heard a grunt of pain and looked back to Renji who had staggered towards the remainder of the 12th Squad barracks. His Taichou kept him from hitting the ground a second time as he collapsed again.

 

“Abarai-Fukutaichou, sit down until Unohana-Taichou arrives,” Byakuya ordered as he held the younger Shinigami.

 

“Can’t sir. Got somethin’ I gotta check,” Renji stated with a quiet authority that said he knew he had contradicted his Taichou but would leave anyway.

 

“What would that be?” Renji straightened his back more than Ichigo thought he could considering how frayed he looked before twisting in his Taichou’s grip to face the man.

 

“Just somethin’ the 12th’s Fukutaichou said. I need ta make sure tha’ kid’s not the only one if his power blows again.”

 

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Renji, than back to Ishida. He didn’t know how but his friend was still bleeding, staining the over robes beneath him a deep crimson. It was a miracle that the slightly younger boy still had a pulse after what that freak had done to him. His attention turned to the weight of Zangetsu on his shoulder, and his hand twitched towards hilt. Renji was in no state to move, much less help in securing another miracle.

 

The orange haired Shinigami couldn’t do anything here besides be moral support or a last minute safe guard. It wasn’t like he would be good moral support either, considering the fact that he had let this happen to his friend through sheer negligence if nothing else. Ishida had said Quincy and Shinigami didn’t belong on the same side and look where going against that got the dark haired archer. Only a few of the Gotei 13 had been willing to help Ichigo search for his friend and most of the Shinigami had been more than willing to allow flat out torture to happen at the command of that Old Bastard.

 

First Rukia, than Orihime, now Ishida. (He’d be keeping a close eye on Chad after this.)

 

Maybe he should face the fact that while a few of the Shinigami were okay, the Gotei 13 itself was a loss.

 

He glanced around and saw the faces of those surrounding him and knew without a doubt that if swords were drawn, most of these people would come through. Soi Fong probably only because of Yoruichi, and her Fukutaichou seemed too dumb to do anything but follow her orders. The 11th Squad officers would follow him because they’d get more fights that way. Ukitake-Taichou’s and Shunsui’s Fukutaichous would follow them before the Old Bastard and the two Taichous’ disapproval and disgust were clear. Shuuhei and Kira both seemed more apprehensive than anything, Shuuhei with a side of disbelief and Kira anger. Byakuya was a veneer of calm that reminded Ichigo of the night they first met. Toshiro just looked ill, his ice blue eyes filled with pain and he seemed to be just a few seconds from shattering.

 

If only for right now as they staggered from shock, Ishida would be safe with these fighters.

 

Now to make sure no one else got written off as a necessary sacrifice by the Old Bastard.

 

His decision crystallized in his mind even as Byakuya asked Renji where he thought there would be others like Ishida. “She said, third east block four.”

 

“Fukutaichou remain here, we’ll take care of the situation.” Ichigo eyed Byakuya. The nobleman didn’t really mean that he was going to go instead of Renji, did he? Ichigo looked at Renji questioningly, who just nodded at his Taichou’s words and let the older man lower him onto the smooth ground. Byakuya’s eyes narrowed in determination, “Substitute Shinigami Kurosaki, Taichous Hitsugaya and Ukitake, Fukutaichous Hisagi and Kira, please follow me. Kyoraku-Taichou if you could please redirect some of the Fourth Squad to meet us we would appreciate the assistance. Soi Fong-Taichou, see to it that all members of the 12th Squad are taken into custody as soon as possible, we will need to know as much as possible before Mayuri regains consciousness.” Ichigo blinked, when had the Thing been KOd?

 

“With pleasure, Kuchiki-Taichou,” Soi Fong said and Ichigo had no problems with the 2nd Squad Taichou's look being directed at someone other than him and his.

 

“The rest of you-”

 

“I’m going with you. And don’t argue, Bya-chan.” Yoruichi said with a smirk, lifting the phone out of the way so she could stick her tongue out at him almost playfully.

 

Byakuya didn’t even blink. “You’re as crude as ever, Shihoin-san. It’s not my fault if they catch you here.”

 

“Can we hurry this up?” Ichigo growled. As nice as it was to realize that Rukia’s annoying big brother and Yoruichi knew each other and that he wouldn’t be feeling Senbonzakura’s slice, he wanted this over with so he could get back to Ishida in case the drugs wore off before they could fix him. If worst came to worse and they couldn’t repair what Mayuri had done to him, he wanted to be there.

 

“Patience, Kurosaki. The rest of you get ready, there might be resistance to our actions from sources other than the 12th Squad.”

 

“Yama-ji,” said Kyoraku-Taichou as he rested his hand on the hilt of his blade as did Ukitake-Taichou. Ichigo figured they meant the Old Bastard by how pale the other Shinigami all became.

 

“Hopefully not, but I take it we are all agreed?” There were nods and Kenpachi and Ikkaku laughed in a way that made Ichigo grateful he wasn’t facing the belled Taichou or his bald worshipper right now.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Ichigo launched himself in the same direction the others headed. At the very least they probably knew where to find the place that Renji had mentioned. Ichigo decided to be grateful for the opportunity to not get lost and muck up the most horrific rescue he’d ever mounted.

 

XXXXX

 

Shuuhei Hisagi wanted to puke after seeing what had been done to that kid. Shinigami weren’t supposed to do that. They were honorable protectors, steadfast guardians, towers of might standing against the raging madness of the Hollows. They weren’t monsters who would systematically slice apart a living child just to see how his Reiatsu ticked. They shouldn’t be monsters who with an apathetic distance ordered the torture of an innocent to continue.

 

But they were.

 

The confusion raging in Shuuhei’s heart was as bad as his nausea at the remembrance of the boy's muscles fresh with blood and the gleaming of exposed bone in the sunlight.

 

Surely this hadn’t been what Tousen-Taichou had meant when he said the Gotei 13 were unjust. His Taichou would have raised the gates of Hell to bring Mayuri to justice if he had known. But then, Shuuhei couldn’t possibly imagine that Aizen was any better, he’d seen the mess that Kira had been and Hinamori-chan still was. How much would Tousen-Taichou have objected to the Quincy’s torture? He didn’t even know where to begin figuring it out. But he did know himself, and if this nightmare was the Gotei 13, Shuuhei doubted he could remain a part of it.

 

Shuuhei knew with certainty that his world hinged on what he found in this block, what the Sotaichou had allowed to be done.

 

He could only pray as they skidded to a stop outside of the locked and spelled doors, that whatever it was wouldn’t break his faith any further. Ever since that Shinigami with the 69 had saved his life, this place had been the beginning and the end of his dreams. He wasn’t quite sure what would happen if he couldn’t be a part of it any longer.

 

He and Kira began to work on the doors, careful to make sure their spells didn’t trigger any traps.

 

They found it actually rather simple to break through all the wards and no trouble to slice through the locking mechanism. There was no excuse for the lax security, an unseated Shinigami right out of the Academy could have gotten in. A moment of doubt entered Shuuhei’s mind, whatever lay behind these pathetically guarded doors must not be considered important.

 

The large doors swung inwards with a push, letting sunlight illuminate a dark nightmare.

 

Shuuhei couldn’t quite process what met his eyes. It was a gruesome art project; a fake.

 

They couldn’t be real.

 

There absolutely could not be bodies hanging spread eagle in row after neat row.

 

Tubes containing various colored liquids ran in and out of the strapped up people. Some of the figures looked skeletal, and he could see thick lines of cuts tracing across the remnants of their flesh, some so fresh they leaked blood. Shuuhei looked down to see anything but the bodies and immediately regretted his choice as he realized the pattern on the floor wasn’t a pattern. The floor was actually a grate leading to a series of tanks that collected the falling blood and fluids, his stomach clenched in revulsion.

 

He heard Ukitake-Taichou choke out a spell, the man’s voice barely louder than a whisper but it lifted a filter from Shuuhei’s perception, letting him feel the mix of souls and still living people, all frozen in time with a suspension spell. Some of the tubes had traces of spells and Reiatsu, probably forcing nutrients into them and keeping the poor souls from properly passing on like they should. He could smell the stench raising off the bodies, worse from the left side than the right, and he noted that half appeared to have been washed and the other not. They were still experimenting on them he guessed in a nearly detached fashion. At the same moment he realized vaguely that he was probably going into shock.

 

Kuchiki-Taichou sharply called out another spell and Shuuhei staggered from the sheer weight of these souls Reiatsu crash into him. It radiated from all around him in a nearly overwhelming pressure. He tentatively reached out his senses even as he counted, this large room held 12 rows, each ten people across. It felt like there were three floors below and above. Oh Gods, there were so many. They were practically sitting right underneath everybody’s noses. How the hell could the entire Gotei 13 miss them! How long had they been here!?

 

Shuuhei hadn’t even realized that he’d fallen to his knees until Kuchiki-Taichou laid a hand on his shoulder, the tremor in it barely noticeable. He glanced back over his shoulder to see the others, hoping they could give him some idea how to handle this.

 

He could only see Hitsugaya-Taichou’s shuddering shoulders and Shuuhei could hear vomiting. Ukitake-Taichou hovered over the kid, whispering soothing words and gently rubbing the boy’s back even as his brown eyes remained pointed resolutely towards the center of the room. Kira must have reared away until he hit the far wall because he sat slouched at its base, eyes wide and mouth hanging. Kurosaki looked absolutely venomous and Shuuhei felt the darkness that had shot through his Reiatsu earlier when that mask (which looked and felt too much like a Hollow’s for comfort) had covered his face coming back, clashing against the boy’s own. The orange haired teen gripped his head tightly and Yoruichi had a careful hand on his shoulder but she didn’t take her eyes off the sight before her, stoically relaying the information in a hissing voice to the communicator held to her ear.

 

“Hey! What are you doing here?!” Shuuhei’s head flung around at the loud voice echoing through the large room. A dark haired Shinigami rushed towards them from amidst the forest of bodies.

 

It had to be some sort of lurid joke.

 

Shinigami couldn’t really do this.

 

A desperate hope remained stubbornly in the back of his mind. Maybe they rescued these people from some Hollow lab or this was an auxiliary medical area and they had to be in that position. He couldn’t be seeing what he thought he saw!

 

“This area has restricted access! If you ruin the test results Kurotsuchi-Taichou will be furious!” Shuuhei drug his gaze away from the man’s angry face to look at the room again. A few more people in white lab coats had started scurrying towards them. Shuuhei had to shove aside the noble’s hand in order to stand, leaning to the side so he could to vomit without hitting himself or the Taichou even as he unsheathed Kazeshini.

 

He might not spend much time with anyone who wasn’t in his small circle of friends, but he recognized those Shinigami from the few times there had been semi-formal inter-squad get togethers, drinking parties or challenges. He had laughed with these despicable creatures, tried to get along with them, encouraged them when they flagged along with the 4th Squad, after all it hadn’t been their fault they belonged to a science division instead of a battle squad.

 

He hadn’t known they’d done this!

 

“Ease down, Fukutaichous,” he glanced over to see Kira on the other side of Kuchiki-Taichou, Wabisuki just as ready as Kazeshini. Hitsugaya-Taichou had shoved away from the door, the air sharpening around him with cold. One by one Shuuhei watched all their breaths start to fog. Ukitake-Taichou left his hand on the kid’s shoulder, even as he carefully maneuvered into the younger Taichou’s path. Kuchiki-Taichou’s arm rose decisively into Shuuhei’s line of sight and he wasn’t quite sure if he felt grateful or not to be ordered down with Kira. These bastards deserved to die. He heard a high pitched cackle from behind him and saw Yoruichi literally holding Kurosaki back in a pinching hold that had his sword arm completely immobilized, a voice shouted from the communicator lying forgotten on the pathway.

 

Kuchiki-Taichou’s voice cut through the air, sharper than the best cared for Zanpaktou as he started in on the techs. “Kurotsuchi is the least of your problems. Explain this travesty, now!”

 

The Shinigami who had noticed them straightened his back with an imperious sniff. “I’ll be happy to relay your request to the Taichou if you would leave. You broke the seals and we’ll have to work fast to keep this batch from being contaminated. With the war going we’ll need every drop we can get. And that’s not including the research your unshielded presences might destroy!”

 

Shuuhei couldn’t figure out how this guy could be stupid enough to believe they were worried about the research…

 

“And the souls behind you? Will they be adversely affected?” Hitsugaya-Taichou’s cold laced voice decreased the temperature of the room again. Shuuhei heard cracking and flicked his gaze down to see the metal grates warping from the ice that slowly made its way across the floor.

 

A disdainful roll of brown eyes accompanied the fools answer. “Hopefully not. The last time there was a contamination it took months to find replacements for the ones we had to dispose of, and we lost another 93 as we had to push them harder to meet the production quotas.”

 

Hitsugaya-Taichou was a fast brat and the lead scientist became a glittering statue before any of them could move. The Taichou calmly pulled his Zanpaktou from the ice tower to turn on the other scientists. They tried to scramble away in panic. “Hainawa!” Spiritual Ropes snaked through the air at Kuchiki-Taichou’s spell, wrapping around the fleeing scientists and hauling them up to dangle before them even as Ukitake-Taichou grabbed the pale boy again, clutching him tightly to his chest and whispering furiously to the scarily blank kid.

 

It was a moment before Kuchiki-Taichou spoke again. “Hitsugaya-Taichou please escort Substitute-Shinigami Kurosaki back to the group with Ishida-san and have the 4th Squad directed here with all haste.”

 

Another cackle rang through the room and Kurosaki’s too high voice choked out “I’m no-”

 

“Kurosaki, they should have made it to your friend by now,” Kuchiki-Taichou silenced the substitute Shinigami with his own words, and Shuuhei could hear the hint of worry in his voice. “I’m sure your presence will be a great comfort to your friend when he awakens given the situation. Besides, it will not take long for word to spread of these atrocities and I would have a few more strong fighters near those who need protection if things go wrong.”

 

Shuuhei thought of that poor teen laid out like some sacrifice on the Taichous’ robes; of Renji weakened by his loss of Reiatsu collapsed on the smooth ground; Hinamori-chan, the other two humans, the fourth squad members... Kami-sama, this was going to be a blood bath if it came to a fight!

 

“Yeah… right…” Kurosaki took one last glance around the room then followed Hitsugaya-Taichou back in the direction they had come from. Ichigo’s Reiatsu was seething and Shuuhei hoped that someone would be able to rein the Substitute Shinigami in a little. The orange haired teen’s friends were most likely why the Taichou had sent him back to them. And well, Hitsugaya-Taichou was already so pissed he’d killed the icicle in front of Shuuhei. He could hear Ukitake-Taichou whispering into a seal about having Rangiku meet the kid.

 

“Let me make this very, very clear,” Kuchiki-Taichou’s voice was colder than the still chilled air of the room and the 12th Squad members were shaking in the grip of his Kido. “You have perpetrated such atrocities that I would see you all die a much slower death than that of Hitsugaya-Taichou’s example. You will explain what must be done to safely remove these poor souls and then you will assist us in doing so. Any attempts on your part to cause problems will add more hours to the stretch of time your death will take; cooperation will decrease it, but make no mistake, you will die for crimes. It is up to you as to how painful it will be.”

 

Shuuhei couldn’t tell if the Taichou was bluffing. The lab-coated Shinigami cried out as the ropes around them constricted even further before vanishing, dropping all the men onto the sharp, cold grates.

 

“Well?”

 

“We -- we can’t!”

 

“Scatter! Senbonzakura!” A flurry of petals darted towards the man who had stuttered the words only to stop a millimeter in front of his face and the man collapsed further in panic. “Why?”

 

“No one has every survived coming down!” another one shouted.

 

Kuchiki-Taichou said another binding Kido and all of their captives were slammed into the floor.

 

“When the 4th Squad gets here you will help them in making sure these ones do,” Ukitake-Taichou stated calmly as he stepped in front of the other man.

 

“We can’t!”

 

The lightly glowing petals danced before their vision. “Why not?”

 

“They, they power, oh Kami-sama we’re going to die! We were just following orders!”

 

“You lost any right to speak after that comment,” Kira spat out. Shuuhei glanced at his friend and saw the blonde’s face had gone disturbingly blank, even as his eyes burned with rage. Shuuhei knew some of that hatred had to be inspired by the blonde’s self loathing at what he had done while following Ichimaru Gin’s orders. Kira had healed faster than Hinamori-chan, but still blamed himself for the harm he had caused his friends. The blonde had come to truly despise anyone who thought they could excuse their wrongs by blaming orders. Shuuhei thought of the 6th Squad member that had nearly been pulped on the ground by multiple taps of Wabisuki, saved only by Kuchiki-Taichou’s arrival. If they survived the fallout he, Renji and Rangiku would have to drag Kira out for another night of drinking ‘til the lightweight 3rd Squad Fukutaichou dropped. It was really the only thing that made him susceptible to their words of comfort.

 

That these unjust nightmare makers could in any way hurt one of his few friends made Shuuhei almost as mad as what had been done to the Souls hung around them. “One of you had better answer the Taichou’s question,” he stated calmly, his façade betrayed only by the creak of his knuckles tightening on Kazeshini’s hilt.

 

“Their Reiatsu powers all the technology of the Gotei Thirteen!” shrieked the blue eyed kid to the left of the idiot who had cried out about orders.

 

The world screeched to a halt, all Shuuhei could hear were the whimpers and half sobs of the Shinigami before them against quiet background of fluids hissing through tubes and the occasional drip of blood hitting grating. Only the burn in Shuuhei’s chest reminded him to breath and then he choked a little at the stench that filled his lungs with his deep inhalation.

 

“What?” Ukitake-Taichou’s perfectly calm voice questioned even as his Reiatsu retreated back under so many shields that Shuuhei could barely feel a trace of the Taichou.

 

The young Shinigami who had spoken jumped to his feet, furiously wiping tears from his baby faced cheeks and brushing sweat damp brown hair out of his face. He must be barely out of the Academy, Shuuhei thought as the shivering scientist met Ukitake-Taichou’s eyes. “It… Things needed power! Kurotsuchi-Taichou-”

 

“Shut up Mizuno!” this came from the still shaking fool who had shouted about orders, “Kurotsuchi-Taichou will-”

 

“No!” The furiously shaking boy spun on his comrades, brown eyes snapping. “You know I’ve never liked this but I’ve followed orders and if-” the boy choked, Shuuhei could see him visibly gathering his pride before continuing a little calmer, “if death is my penance for not acting sooner than I’ll go to it with a clear conscious!” He turned his back on the cowering technicians and Shuuhei couldn’t help thinking the word ‘brave’ as the boy looked towards Ukitake-Taichou again.

 

“I don’t know the details, I wasn’t here then, but I know the story,” the boy swallowed. “Soul Society’s researchers would develop the concepts for technology, some our own designs, a few based on what other groups of Souls would do.” Shuuhei started at these words; there were other Souls in the Spirit World that did this? Where? “It was nearly impossible to gather enough Reiatsu to create prototypes and make them work in Seireitei, much less the Human world. Somehow they discovered that the Spirit Particles that made a Soul would work as a power source.” The 12th Squad member glanced behind him at the hanging bodies, “I don’t…” another deep breath, the kid, Mizuno, looked pale enough under his light tan to go into shock, and Shuuhei had to wonder if he was going to pass out before he could finish his tale. “I know why we continued using them; they’re powerful, very powerful. Combined with harvesting and purifying the Reiatsu they give off just by existing we have almost no problem meeting whatever power requirements we are presented with. We don’t even have to stop experiments so long as any side effects in the Soul or Reiatsu are filtered out.”

 

Shuuhei looked at all the Souls and Humans hung before them and wondered what could possibly be worth this callous brutality.

 

“What power requirements are you presented with?” Shihoin-san asked a touch of Shuuhei’s own disbelief in her voice. “If these atrocities are so Kurotsuchi can play with his experiments I will-”

 

“No!” The boy looked startled he’d shouted again and Shuuhei knew for certain the kid was going into shock. “This, a lot of this started before Kurotsuchi-Taichou took over! We’re separate from the main R & D Squad so not many know about us! I think… I think it was two or three Taichous ago they discovered this method of power generation.” The boy furiously shook his head. “We draw power for a lot of things, lights, the waste processing plants, running water, everyday applications. Then there’s times medical units need something that fulfills a specific purpose and doesn’t interfere with their Healing Kidos. The repair units need their spells supercharged to deal the 11th Squad’s training grounds whenever Zaraki-Taichou gets in a good mood. The recon and front line units need something that will work on a specific Hollow that keeps evading them. We need tracers to help the Shinigami in the Human world find Souls in need of burial. We have to find Souls that become Hollows and find incursions into the Human world from Hueco Mundo. There are so many other things, like the field communicators, they require an immense amount of power to breach the barrier between worlds but a Soul will power five or six for a year of regular use. It’s used for so many things in Seireitei that even a slight drop in production is damaging since we can’t store too much because it goes bad so quickly!”

 

“My Squad relies on machines fueled by this monstrosity?” A quiet, perfectly serious voice rang over the room from the door. Shuuhei spun around to see that he had been so distracted by what happened in front of him, he had failed to recognize Unohana-Taichou’s Reiatsu coming up behind him, a few members of the 4th and 13th Squads standing outside the open door behind her.

 

The 4th’s Taichou’s face lacked its usual smile, her dark eyes foreboding as they assessed the young Shinigami. Mizuno stood trembling, caught in Unohana-Taichou’s gaze. It was a while before he could nod.

 

“Kami-sama forgive us,” she whispered, bowing her head in prayer. Then her head gracefully rose and she moved forward. “Kuchiki-Taichou, Fukutaichous Kira and Hisagi sheath your weapons. They do us no good drawn.” Shuuhei blindly followed the authority that rang in her voice. “Isane-chan, please lead the questioning of these technicians. Iemuro-kun, head for…”

 

Shuuhei stepped out of her way, only to have a medical pack shoved into his arms by Kotetsu-Fukutaichou. She motioned for him to follow Unohana-Taichou as the woman made her way through the hanging figures, delivering orders to everyone present even as she leaned over to check on certain people herself. Shuuhei let himself be carried in her wake, glad to be able to do something to help. He snagged the kid Mizuno’s sweat soaked collar and pulled him along so he could answer any of the questions interspersed in the serenely confident Taichou’s running litany to her Squad via the seal she’d flawlessly called while gently probing where needles went into either side of a young girl’s neck.

 

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End Chapter Four

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